Testing

Naked Sony Nex-7!! Opened Up so you can see the Guts of the Nex-7!! – Updated with HD Video Footage!!

Had a little down time on Saturday and ended up taking apart my Nex-7 with a friend of mine and Michel, to see what it looks like inside. It’s pretty amazing to say the least how they fit all that technology into such a skinny camera body. I was also very curious how the lens mount was connected to the rest of the camera. It turns out the lens E-Mount is the chassis pretty much and everything builds off the main lens flange assemble. Tiny philips screws are all that keep the Nex-7 together and it was pretty easy to take apart I must say. The OLED is also much smaller than I expected considering how much larger the stand-alone model ( FDA-EV1S ) is for the Nex-5n. I guess if you take the housing off it makes sense.

Check this out!

Nex-7 Naked Pics:

Sony Nex-7 – Naked

Sony Nex-7 – Naked

Sony Nex-7 – Naked

Sony Nex-7 – Naked

Sony Nex-7 – Naked

Sony Nex-7 – Naked

Sony Nex-7 – Naked

Sony Nex-7 – Naked

Updated with More Pics – 052612

I finally got around to taking apart my Nex-7 the rest of the way and man is it cool!! It to me a long tome to get it apart I must admit as screws were located behind the flat cables and stuff. I tried to get shots of everything, but let me know if you need anymore. I’m going to attempt to put it back together at some point!!

Nex-7 – Taken apart

Nex-7 – Sensor Copper Heat Sink

Nex-7 – Split Apart View

Nex-7 – Back left side view showing Copper Heat sink

Nex-7 – Battery Housing Area Exposed

Nex-7 – Sensor Assembly Removed

Notice the green looking filter on top of the sensor in it’s own little housing. I’m not sure if this is the AA filter or another filter, but I will find out asap.

Nex-7 – Sensor Assembly Removed

Nex-7 – Sensor Assembly Removed and Posed

Nex-7 – Sensor Assembly Closer Look

Nex-7 – Sensor Side Profile w/ Heat SInk

Sony Nex-7 – Sensor Back with the Copper Heat Sink Removed

Nex-7 – 24mp Sensor Revealed!!

Nex-7 – Entire Scene

Sony Nex-7 – Disassembled More including the Sensor Filter

Nex-7 – Sensor assembly mostly disassembled and filter removed

Nex-7 – Sensor assembly mostly disassembled and filter removed

Nex-7 – 24mp Sensor Back

Nex-7 – Shutter Mechanism

Nex-7 – OLED Viewfinder is really small!!

In this image you can see the On/Off switch. It’s right on top of the black arc in the center of the top area in the image.

Nex-7 – On/Off Switch

In this image below you can see the shutter release pin that goes through the plastic shaft. That pin is connected to the shutter button and protrudes down when the it’s pressed.

Nex-7 – On/Off Switch and Shutter Release Mechanism

Nex-7 – On/Off Switch and Shutter Release Mechanism

HD Video of the Naked Sony Nex-7

Be sure to select the HD Option in the player preferences once the video starts. It’s the little gear icon

Closing Remarks

The Sony Nex-7 is a pretty advanced camera as we all pretty much know, but I am amazed at the complexity of the wiring harness and chassis assemble. It’s just amazing how they find a way to fit all that stuff in such a tiny space.

In regards to the Copper Heat Sink, which is designed to help cool the sensor, it’s pretty heavy and much thicker than you might think. It also has a piece of white heat transfer tape which bonds it to the sensor back. I’m really not sure what can be done to help cool this camera down more for extended video recording, but what I’ve learned so far from other users and experience is the fallowing. If you pull the screen out it will allow air behind it, therefore getting cooler air closer to the sensor heat sink. At the very least it should help scrub a little heat away from the camera gutz. Another thing you can do is use a small fan and blow it in the HDMI port area, preferable with a funnel scoop of some sort. If you can get a reasonable seal it will force some are bast the heat sink and possible help cool the sensor down. I have not tried this, nor do I recommend it as dust might get in there. I also have not had overheating issues as I don’t record for long periods of time in a row ever, but enough people have complained about it so…

I hope you guys got something out of this, and if you need anymore pictures or angles, just let me know. I really need to try an put this thing back together at some point!!

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I’ll see what I can do Vivek, I just need to get a few more tools and I’ll take it apart all the way I’m curious about the filter removal you mention on Sonyalpharumors? DO they just pop off? I thought they were put on at the sensor factory and part of the chip itself.

Jay, I just saw your video clip. To clarify a couple of things for you:

1. The UV/IRcut/AA filter (blue green) has a piezo electric element and the wire protruding from it are the power leads. It is the ultrasonic dust shaker in the camera.

2. Yes, the blue-green filter is coated (anti IR coatings) and is a sandwich of a few layers epoxied together. There is a IR cut component (the blue green stuff) that is highly sensitive to the environment. There may be one or two layers that are the anti aliasing materials.

Thanks for breaking the camera down. Very interesting to see. Do you think there is any room for a sensor or CPU heat-pipe in there to enhance cooling? I love my NEX-7 for video, but it does overheat sometimes on interviews and I have been wondering whether I could retro-fit some sort of extra cooling to bring the heat outside of the case. Thanks

Their is no way you can fit a heat sink or heat pipe! The back of the camera is flush with the parts in their pretty much and the lcd screen folds in to the back. Perhaps if you modified, but I would not do that personally.

Thanks for the comments Brad. More naked pics are coming soon. My friend mark is going to come over and he has a bunch of tools for taking stuff like this apart. It should be fun,and hopefully I don’t break anything!!

I totally Agree!! Incredible Engineers they have at Sony. I still need to take it apart the rest of the way, but I just haven’t had any time yet as I’m working overtime on some website additions and Hands On Reviews Not to mention the regular job and the baby etc.. lol

I totally agree, but I was using natural light and was forced to use the large apertures and high ISO already. (I used the kitchen table) The “Lab” is a disaster downstairs and under heavy construction unfortunately and setting up the studio upstairs is a task for sure!!

It’s really high quality and looks like it’s polarized almost to me. I took some video footage for you showing it off with much more detail I just need to get the video processed and up on youtube!! Stand-by, and I’ll drop a link whats the video is up!!

What method did you use to separate the filter pack from the sensor? I’ve been attempting a similar teardown and prying it off with a screwdriver threatens to totally destroy the entire package. Any help you can provide would be helpful.

I’m going fro memory here, but I believe it was a black metal retention clip that was holding the filters on top of the actual sensor. It pops of if you pull on the lip and then the filters should be loose.

Getting to the ribbon cable inside the camera requires some dis-assembly, but it’s not really that hard. You really need to be careful and use caution when pulling on the ribbon cables and stuff. It’s a little tricky to find all the screws and get it apart, but youtube has a few videos that are extremely helpful in this regard. Look for the infrared sensor conversion videos. Folks take apart the whole camera to do that mod!

If your confident in taking it apart and have the small screwdrivers and and ribbon pulling tool, go for it. Otherwise I would pay a camera repair shot to do it for you

It’s pretty much complete dis-assembly to take those out. They are connected to the chassis with a large plate on the inside side of the camera body. Not really a feasible option unless you really savy in my opinion. I certainly would not attempt it. I would cut them off first, but don’t recommend that. You making a housing or something? You need photos of the part?

Hi My NEX7 LCD screen is loose in the metal frame which hinges out. I can see a ribbon cable at the left edge. It is working fine but I am worried it will fall out at any time. Have you any idea how it is fixed in (it is holding in by one edge at the moment and I don’t want to take it out completely until I know what I am doing) I see that replacement screens are available from China…ever tried one?